Prepare to be blown away
Grade: A
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The wait is finally over for gamers across the nation.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the highly anticipated sequel to Infinity Ward’s 2007 Game of the Year, hit shelves on Wednesday.
The fans’ reception could not be any better. With the game selling 4.7 million copies in the first 24 hours after its release, MW2 is shaping up to be the biggest game of 2009. But does it live up to the hype?
Although the original Modern Warfare contained an exciting and engaging single-player campaign, it was the multiplayer that truly made the game stand out. This time around, things are no different.
Crafting a good multiplayer experience for a sequel is tricky for video game developers. They have to improve what was broken and take it to the next level, without changing the core game play that made it so much fun to begin with. Luckily for fans of the series, Infinity Ward was up to the challenge.
Fans will notice immediately that the game plays exactly like the original. The game play mechanics have remained the same, allowing players to instinctively pick up the controller and just play.
That’s not to say, however, that there isn’t a heaping pile of new additions to the latest installment.
One of the most noticeable new features in MW2 is the customizable kill streak. The original Modern Warfare only had three standard kill streak rewards. But the sequel boasts 15 different rewards, from an ammo drop all the way to a full tactical nuke.
Kill streaks are not the only thing to receive a customizable facelift this time around. The guns in the game have even more upgrades than in the original game.
Memorable favorites, such as the grenade launcher and silencer attachments, are back and just as fun and helpful as ever. But it’s the new additions such as the heart beat sensor and thermal scope that are going to have gamers playing for hours on end.
Even the equipment is sporting more variety this time around. Of course the frag, stun and flash grenades are back, but they’re not alone. They’re joined by a semtex grenade, which will stick to any surface and destroy it in a lethal explosion.
As fun as it is to hit an opposing player with a semtex grenade and watch him uselessly panic mere seconds before he explodes, the new throwing knife is even better. The reusable weapon is a quick one-hit kill for anyone good enough to stick an enemy with it.
The campaign exceeds its predecessor while still managing to keep things familiar – especially with all the old faces.
In MW2, players won’t be taking control of “Soap” MacTavish like they did in the original. This time, MacTavish is a captain and the players’ fearless leader. Players switch between Sgt. Gary “Roach” Sanderson of task force 141 and U.S. Army Ranger Pvt. James Ramirez for the majority of the game.
The campaign for MW2 is a very cinematic experience. The story is in-depth and full of twists, betrayals and a large amount of explosions. Throughout the entire campaign, the player is never taken out of first person view, which gives the illusion that he or she is in control of everything, even when the situation is completely out of the player’s control.
Further enhancing the cinematic style of game play for the player, the campaign includes multiple vehicle chases that make players feel as though they’re inside an action movie instead of playing a video game.
The most interesting chase by far is the snowmobile sequence early in the game. The player has to drive a snowmobile down a mountain, through a forest and across a frozen lake, all while being chased by enemy troops and fully loaded helicopters.
The game is nothing short of spectacular and fully worth the $60 price tag. The campaign is fun and exhilarating, and the multiplayer is the best around.
This is one game that is sure to be stuck in your console of choice for months to come.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com